1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to improvements in methods of and apparatus for reading bar code symbols in point-of-sale (POS) environments in ways which support optimized cashier scanning and checkout operations and increased throughput performance.
2. Brief Description of the State of Knowledge in the Art
The use of bar code symbols for product and article identification is well known in the art. Presently, various types of bar code symbol scanners have been developed for reading bar code symbols at retail points of sale (POS).
In demanding retail environments, such as supermarkets and high-volume department stores, where high check-out throughput is critical to achieving store profitability and customer satisfaction, it is common to use laser scanning bar code reading systems having both bottom and side-scanning windows to enable highly aggressive scanner performance. In such systems, the cashier need only drag a bar coded product past these scanning windows for the bar code thereon to be automatically read with minimal assistance from the cashier or checkout personal. Such dual scanning window systems are typically referred to as “bioptical” laser scanning systems as such systems employ two sets of optics disposed behind the bottom and side-scanning windows thereof. Examples of polygon-based bioptical laser scanning systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,229,588; 4,652,732 and 6,814,292; each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Commercial examples of bioptical laser scanners include: the PSC 8500—6-sided laser based scanning by PSC Inc.; PSC 8100/8200, 5-sided laser based scanning by PSC Inc.; the NCR 7876—6-sided laser based scanning by NCR; the NCR7872, 5-sided laser based scanning by NCR; and the MS232x Stratos® H, and MS2122 Stratos® E Stratos 6 sided laser based scanning systems by Metrologic Instruments, Inc., and the MS2200 Stratos®S 5-sided laser based scanning system by Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
In recent years, high-performance digital imaging-based POS bar code symbol readers have been proposed for use in retail POS applications. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,424 B2 and U.S. Publication No. 2008-0283611 A1, both assigned to Metrologic Instruments, Inc.
However, despite the many improvements in both laser scanning and digital imaging based bar code symbol readers over the years, there is still a great need in the art for improved POS-based bar code symbol reading systems which are capable of supporting optimized cashier scanning and checkout operations, and increased throughput performance at POS stations, while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art systems and methodologies.